Childminders and Childminding Agencies

Childminders• are Ofsted registered carers who look after children in their own homes• offer a flexible service, caring for children aged from birth to sixteen years• are usually only allowed to look after up to six children between the ages birth to eight (including their own)• can have more children if they work in partnership with other childminders or assistants• the service offered is unique to each family’s needs and many childminders provide evening, weekend and school holiday care.

All childminders will have completed a training course including paediatric first aid, and are inspected by Ofsted.

Childminder agencies (CMA)• are organisations designed to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ of services for both childminders and parents• are registered and inspected by Ofsted. The CMA will register and quality assure childminders who join their agency• will offer parents a range of services to support them in finding a childminder and offer some additional services, such as cover, when a childminder is sick or on holiday